When I
Brenda Holloway Lyrics

What are you gonna do when I'm gone
Asking what the person will do when the singer is no longer with them

Whose shoulder are you gonna cry on
Asking the person who they will seek comfort from once the singer is gone

What are you gonna do on the day
Asking what the person will do when the singer decides to leave

When I turn my head and just walk away
Describing how the singer will leave and not look back

What are you gonna say to your friends
Asking what the person will tell their friends about the breakup

When the talk around town begins
Referring to the rumors that will spread about the reasons for the breakup

Will you tell them how you treated me bad
Questioning whether the person will come clean about their mistreatment of the singer

Will you tell them how you made me so sad
Questioning whether the person will share the emotional pain they caused the singer

‘Cause you make some people
Referring to how the person gives off a false impression to others

Think that you love me a lot
Referring to how others perceive the person's love for the singer

But they just don't know you
Stating that others do not truly know the person's character

And what they see isn't what we've got
Implying that the relationship is not what it seems to others

We're happy in the public eye
Acknowledging that the public perceives the couple as happy

They think you're such a wonderful guy
Referring to how the public perceives the person as a great partner

But they don't know how much you've lied
Implying that the person has been dishonest to the singer

And they don't know how much I've cried
Implying that the person has caused the singer a lot of emotional pain

You're a real Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Comparing the person to the fictional character with two extreme personalities

You make a pass at
Stating how the person flirts with other women

Every girl that you see
Describing how the person hits on every girl they come across

Then when they hurt you
Stating how the person gets hurt in their other relationships

You come running and crying to me
Stating how the person seeks comfort and support from the singer

I comfort you whenever you're low
Stating that the singer consoles the person when they are down

And you don't have a place you can go
Implying that the person has no one else to turn to for comfort

You put your head on my shoulder to cry
Stating how the person seeks physical comfort from the singer

And then you turn around and tell me a lie
Stating how the person is dishonest with the singer

And I just can't take it
Expressing how the singer cannot handle the constant mistreatment

I've gotta make it now
Expressing how the singer has decided to leave and move on

What are you gonna do when I'm gone
Repeating the initial question, asking what the person will do once the singer is out of their lives

And what are you gonna do when I'm gone
Repeating the question, emphasizing the impact the singer's departure will have on the person

What are you gonna do when I'm gone
Final repetition of the question, signifying the inevitability of the singer's departure